Ninja Art
by EmberRain2010
Summary: Shoji is your average ninja, but then he is given a mission that changes his life forever, he had to protect Emporer Kiro, and to do so pose as a possible husband for his daughter, princess Tara. Shoji discovers many things on his mission.
1. The Mission

"Good job Nichuna kun

"Good job Nichuna kun. You hit every target." The sensei praised as Shoji Nichuna moved forward to retrieve his shurikun from the multiple targets. He was chosen at a very young age to be trained as a ninja, and had been training ever since, he could name all the lethal and non-lethal places that could be struck by a shurikun, katauna, or bare hands/feet when he was eight. Now at the age of sixteen he was a master of all those weapons and the wooden stave, as well as the art of concealment. With a sigh he returned to the throwing line and prepared to continue throwing his knives as the exercises became more and more complex.

When the sun was long behind the mountains sensei Shiro released him for diner, after a quick meal Shoji went to get some sleep before night training began.

Shoji worked hard to get where he was, most people didn't reach this level until they were twenty. When Shoji went out for his night training he was given an envelope, inside was three pieces of paper. The first sheet had his name at the top; below it was a description of a mission, the mission that changed everything. The second sheet bore a list of tools he'll be equipped with, fifteen shurikun, twenty throwing stars, a katauna, and a small bag of smoke pellets. The third and final sheet of paper was a map of the building he was to infiltrate as well as a fake I.D. so he could get in undetected more easily. You see Shoji's mission was to protect the Emperor without anyone knowing it. He would be going under the pretense of being a possible suitor for the Emperors daughter, the reason why he had been assigned this mission was he was the closest age, and the most believable, his fellow ninjas were either too old, or too young, not to mention not nearly as good looking as him, his long black hair was always pulled back into a loose ponytail, he had an air of authority, as well as confidence, his face was elegant with high cheek bones, and a distinctive jaw-line. His nose was long and narrow but suited his face perfectly; he was the obvious choice for the mission.

Shoji went to his barracks with a sigh and went to bed knowing he'd be up at sunrise and leaving an hour after. Once on his way to the capital with his companion, Chicho, who was a good six years older then him. Chicho was to play the part of his servant while at the palace. The two moved quickly, only stopping for the mid day meal and to refill their water skins. By the time the sunset they had just crested a large hill, and from there they could see the grand palace in the distance. From where Shoji stood it looked no bigger then his thumb.

Chicho collected wood while Shoji laid out the bedrolls and, once they had a good fire, he prepared dinner. After they ate Chicho pulled out two wooden swords and tossed one to Shoji, " Let us spar." Was all he said, he rose to his feet and got into position, Shoji was already positioned to fight by the time Chicho was ready. They sparred for only twenty minuets, for that was how long it would have taken Shoji to kill Chicho.

Getting up off the ground with a sigh Chicho retrieved his wooden sword and put it back with his stuff. " You beat me every time, your skills have defiantly improved since we last sparred, but then I guess it has been a long time, hasn't it?" he commented

" That it has, almost two years. I am always learning new techniques, and I am always gaining speed and strength." He replied with a smile.

The two men sat by the fire in a contented silence for a while before shoji said " It is late, you get some sleep I will take first watch." Nodding Chicho laid on his bedroll and quickly fell asleep. They alternated keeping watch throughout the night, knowing that if there was a hit put on the Emperor, then the hit men would be watching for possible bodyguards. Shoji was taking the last watch, just before dawn when he sensed something; it felt as though there was a new presence in the vicinity of their camp, it was human, he knew that, unfortunately, his great "sixth sense" (which he wondered about) couldn't tell their intentions, so being cautious Shoji prepared to fight. Soon however the presence was gone, and Shoji was left to wonder who it had been.

When the sun was half over the eastern ridge he woke Chicho and they packed up camp, had a cold breakfast, and continued on their way. When they were at the bottom of the large hill Shoji told Chicho what he had sensed, and they spent a good portion of the day discussing it.

When midday came around, instead of stopping they had a cold meal of bread and cheese, with dried meat. They were nearing the palace when the sun started to sink behind the western mountains, " Now remember, I'm your servant, not your friend." Chicho reminded him,

" Yes I remember, and you remember that we are only acting. I know how they treat servants here, so don't get mad at me for the things that I say or do. I know what I'm doing." Chicho nodded, he had expected a response of this nature, after all Shoji had been taken to the palace a few years ago, and Chicho had never been there before.

" I'll remember that." Was his simple response.

" Good, now ride behind me rather then beside, before we come in view of the palace." Shoji instructed, and Chicho did as he was told. And soon they came through the trees to gaze upon the magnificent palace.

Riding up to the front gates of the outer wall, where two guards stood, Shoji produced a roll of parchment that bore his fake identity, as the young lord of a small western country, the guards nodded and permitted him entrance, with Chicho dragging behind him. When they entered the large courtyard Shoji could hear Chicho's gasp of admiration of the beautiful sight. There were patches of multi coloured flowers scattered everywhere, and in the middle was a beautiful fountain, it was carved into the shape of two wolves, standing on a pedestal, howling skyward. Ones head came up about three inches higher then the other, and Shoji assumed it was male, and the other was female, they were standing shoulder to shoulder, and water was shooting from their howling mouths, once in the air the water arched on either side of the wolves, framing them beautifully, before landing in a small pool set around them. Taking the path that went to the left of the wolves Shoji continued towards the entrance of the palace.

At the entrance a man stood waiting for them, he was a tall man, he had short brown hair and light blue eyes, as Shoji approached he bowed and mumbled " My Lord" Shoji nodded in response and dismounted, holding his horses reins he stood in front of the man with an air of purpose, the man then started to speak. " Lord Nichuna-san, the Emperor has been expecting you, please allow my men to take your horse to the royal stables." Shoji nodded and added,

" And please take my servants horse as well, they have become great friends on our journey and I do not wish to separate them." The man nodded and two other men appeared and took the horses away.

" Follow me, I will show you to your quarters while you are a guest here." And with that they were off into the palace. They walk for what seemed like a long time until finally they stopped outside a heavy wooden door, it was elegantly carved with vines and flowers, with a dragon flying in their midst. " Here is your rooms sir. And your servant may have the adjacent room, with the adjoining door if you wish." Shoji nodded,

" That will do, thank-you." He said opening the door. Inside was a large room, decorated as elegantly as the door it's self, the walls were light blue decorated with tapestries of exquisite design, against the wall to his right there was a large dresser, with a mirror attached, beside it was a writing desk, equipped with quills, ink and parchment between the two was a door that he was sure led to a bathroom. On the far wall close to the desk was a large window, threw which he could see the western horizon, where the sun was currently setting, and when he looked down he could view the courtyard. Beside that was a huge four-poster bed, covered in a golden coloured bedspread. On the wall to his left was a door, which he guessed led to Chichos room,

The servant bowed, " The Emperor would like you to join him and the rest for dinner this evening." Shoji nodded again,

" Very well." Was his short response, before waving the servant off, who then informed him that he would be back in ten minuets to show him the way to the dinning hall. When he was gone Chicho sighed and went to the door on the left, and disappeared through it. Shoji sighed and went to the dresser and found it full of clothing. But before he changed he went through the door between the desk and dresser, and found he had been right about it being a bathroom.

Ten minuets later Shoji stood in front of the mirror admiring his choice of clothing. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with gold trimmings; over it he wore a white haiori with a red and purple flower design on the shoulders and the ends of the sleeves. He wore white pants and black pull on boots, around his waist was a light blue obi with a pale purple design on it.

When a knock came on the door he opened it and smiled at the reaction of the servant standing before him. With a small cough the man bowed and Shoji responded with a curt nod, then he realized something, " Tell me, what is it you are called?" The he stiffened and said quietly

" I'm known as Jiria." Shoji smiled kindly, and waved his hand slightly as he spoke,

" Well, let us be on our way then Jiria, I do not wish to keep our king waiting." Jiria nodded and led the way to the dinning hall.

When they entered Jiria bowed to the people already seated and announced Shoji's entrance, Shoji then stepped past him and bowed to the head of the table where the Emperor sat. A young woman showed him to his seat, three seats down from the Emperor on his left, before disappearing through the doors to the kitchen. Smiling warmly Shoji turned to the Emperor,

" I apologize for my lateness your highness, I didn't receive your invitation until just four days ago." The Emperor returned the smile and replied,

" And I apologize for the short notice, but I only have but four messengers, and as you can see it was a lot of work for them." Shoji nodded still smiling.

" I understand, and I must say I enjoyed the journey, it was a nice change from what I'm used to." The Emperor nodded as food was brought into the room and set on the table. Shoji took the chance to look at the other suitors, there were five others, the first one, to the Emperors immediate right was short with dark brown hair that was cut quite short, other then that there was nothing really defining about him, so shoji moved to the next face, the man beside the first had lighter hair, it was dirty blond and seemed to have some lighter blond highlights, his eyes were a deep shade of blue, and, shoji noticed, he had a nasty scar near the base of his neck. Next he examined the man directly across from him. He was smiling widely as the servants laid trays of food in front of him, his hair was medium length, too long to stay out of his eyes, and too short to put into a ponytail, so his dark ebony locks hung in front of his hazel eyes. On his chin he had the remnants of a beard, Shoji took an immediate liking to him for some reason.

The young man to his right had long hair like his, only it was a golden brown rather then black, but Shoji couldn't see his face real well, so he looked past him at the man on the emperor's immediate left, he had black hair, and a goatee, he was also wearing a wicked smile.

Once the food was placed on the table and everyone was quiet, the Emperor cleared his throat,

" I'm sorry to inform you that my lovely daughter will not be joining us this evening. Please, dig in." Soon everyone was eating and sharing stories, but most people seemed interested in Shoji, since he was the only one who had not been there the night before when they had all been acquainted. Shoji, being a smart young man, told many stories of his land in the west, all of which were true, or had some truth to them. After the sweet dessert the table was cleared and glasses were brought out for everyone, who were telling jokes, and discussing different trade options and different resources of the different lands etc. when a tall man moved around the table, starting with the man on the Emperors right and moving counter clockwise, pouring deep red wine in each glass. Shoji thanked him as he moved on to the next man. They were all slightly intoxicated by the wine they had had during their meal, but shoji stayed vigilant, he watched as the man poured wine into the Emperors cup, then before leaving the room stealthily emptied a small vile of a white powder that disappeared into the dark wine instantly. If Shoji hadn't been watching so closely he would have missed it like everyone else.

Before he could act however the Emperor raised his glass to his lips, thinking quickly Shoji called out,

"Wait! Your Highness, in my land it is custom for the guest and the host to drink from each others glasses on the first night." Slowly the Emperor lowered his glass and smiled,

" Very well young Lord Nichuna." Smiling he passed his glass to Shoji, who passed his back, then raising his glass he said,

" To your majesties kind hospitality." And there was an echo of voices saying " to his majesty" before everyone drank deeply from their cups, Shoji sighed inwardly realizing how close an eye he would have to keep on the Emperor, as he drank the poisoned wine.

After a while everyone agreed that it would be a good idea to go to bed, so they departed for their respected rooms. Shoji made his way towards his room remembering the way from when Jiria had shown him the way to the dinning hall. When he made it back he rushed into the washroom and was sick. After he was sick he ran a bath, once the large tub was full of steaming water he undressed and got in, making sure the soap was within arms reach. He sat in the warm water thinking about the events and keeping the image of the man who had poured the wine in his mind as he scrubbed himself clean. Once he was satisfied with his cleanliness he simply sat and relaxed in the warm water. He sat there for what seemed hours before he finally pulled himself out of both the tub and his thoughts, dried off, and put on his night clothing.

With a sigh he climbed into the large soft bed, marveling at how soft and comfortable it was.


	2. the meeting

When morning came Shoji woke to a knock on the door leading to Chicho's room, he called out a sleepy "c'min" and he heard the door open as he sat up letting the blankets fall to his waist exposing his bare chest. Blinking the sleep from his eyes he looked at his friend with a tiered smile, " Morning, how was your night?" Chicho shrugged,

" I'm sure it wasn't as good as yours, I heard you come in last night, you should be more careful with how much you drink, we're not on vacation you know." He scolded as Shoji's expression became stony.

" I was not drunk." He stated flatly,

" It sure sounded like it." Was the curt reply.

" If you must know, I was sick because of the mission. Not because of an access amount of alcohol. The Emperor's wine was poisoned, so I switched glasses with him."

" Oh." Was all Chicho could say, and then, " why did you drink it then? It could have killed you!" Shoji chuckled at his reaction.

" That's the reason I've spent years building up an immunity to most poisons Chicho. For situations just like that."

" For situations like that, when you know the type of poison." He said pointedly,

" Yes, and I did. So I went through with it. And by doing so I saved the Emperor's life, so shut up and stop ragging on me. Why did you come in the first place?"

At this Chicho laughed, " Because it's time for breakfast and you're still in bed, in your shorts." Was his matter-of-fact reply.

Shoji cursed as he jumped out of the bed and went to the dresser, where he pulled out a casual outfit for the day. Chicho laughed and left the room.

Once properly dressed Shoji made his way to the dinning hall, where he found every one from the night before sitting in the same seats, most of them looked the way he felt.

Sitting in his seat he sighed and poured himself some orange juice from the pitcher in front of him and took a long drought. During the meal there was some idle chat, but not a lot.

After breakfast Shoji decided to get a feel for the palace, so he walked around the large building familiarizing him self with the different rooms and corridors. After a quick lunch he decided to see what the outside fortifications were like, so he went out into the court yard and from there he explored behind the palace where the stables were, then the gardens. While walking through one of the magnificent gardens someone ran right into his chest. Startled he looked down at the person, whom had fallen to the ground, for a moment before kneeling down and offering a hand to her. The young woman tentatively extended her arm and took his hand allowing him to pull her to her feet. Until that moment her rusty red hair had been covering her face, but when she stood she brushed her hair away from her eyes and Shoji nearly gasped at what he saw. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but that's not saying much because he hadn't seen many girls, she had bright green eyes, full red lips, and her long hair fell to her hips, except for her bangs, which went only to her chin.

" I'm sorry sir I wasn't watching where I was going." She apologized, her cheeks slightly red.

" No apology needed miss, are you alright?" he asked wondering how hard she fell, but she nodded with a smile,

" I'm fine, thank-you."

" Why are you in such a hurry?" To this question her cheeks gained colour and her smile fell,

" One of the men my father has summoned entered the gardens over there, and I do not wish to be courted, as my father would like." At first this statement didn't make much sense to Shoji but then realization dawned on him,

" Well princess, I will help you, if you wish, to escape from the garden without attracting his notice." At this her smile returned and grew in brightness, reaching her eyes and lighting them with her appreciation,

" That would be wonderful." And with that he swept her away, out of the gardens without anyone noticing either of them. Before they knew it they were walking through the courtyard talking about their lives Shoji told her stories of his child hood, and she told him what it was like as a child growing up in the palace.

Sitting on the side of the fountain Shoji stretched his limbs with a yawn. They sat together on the side of the fountain discussing the architecture of the fountain, and the palace, until finally a young woman came over to them and bowed to the princess, Who's name was Tara, before informing her that she had to go and prepare for dinner. Sighing Tara turned to Shoji and said, " I'm sorry out time must be cut short, but my father would not be happy if I missed another dinner." He smiled at her,

" No worries, it is time I went too." And with that they departed.

Shoji headed to his room to change into something appropriate for dinner, to night he dressed in a loose white button up shirt, with a dark blue haiori with slightly lighter blue trimmings, his pants were a deep aqua green, that went with the rest quite nicely, for a obi he wore the same one he had donned the night before.

With a last look in the mirror and a heavy sigh Shoji headed for the dinning hall. When he arrived The Emperor was sitting in his seat at the head of the table looking directly across from him, at the occupant of the chair on the other end of the table, who Shoji knew to be his daughter, Tara-samma. Bowing to the lord he made his way to his seat, which was on the immediate right of the princess, Shoji sat down and smiled to Tara, " Good evening Miss Tara-samma." He said quietly. Tara's face became hard when she saw him,

" Shoji-san?" she asked disbelievingly, " You're the last suitor my father summoned?"

" Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I enjoyed speaking with you and I didn't want you to write me off without at least speaking with me." Was his sincere response. She sighed and shook her head.

" I suppose you're right." Was all she said before the other men started to appear in the doorways.

Soon everyone was seated and waiting to be served. Shoji could tell that most of the men were jealous that he got to sit beside the princess, and also he seemed to already be getting on with her better then any of them, although Shoji would have liked it better if he was sitting beside the Emperor, who insisted they addressed as Kiro-samma, it would make his mission a little easier if he was close to him, but he wasn't complaining. Throughout the meal he had a pleasant conversation with Tara, and the man who sat across from him, whose name was Tuchin-samma, but insisted that they called him Suske, all the while Shoji kept a close watch on Kiro-samma. Again, after the meal wine, and glasses were brought out, and the same man that had poured it the night before was pouring it once again, and once again Shoji watched him closely. Though he didn't put anything in Kiro's glass something did not feel right, so Shoji held his glass to his nose and sniffed the red liquid. The smell was familiar; it was a potent bitter smell. With a start Shoji threw the glass across the room where it shattered into a million shards, everyone stared at him with their mouths open and their glasses halfway to their mouths.

" What is the meaning of this?" Kiro demanded pounding his fist on the table as he lurched to his feet, he was a tall man, and very muscular, so he looked somewhat intimidating.

" Kiro-samma, I'm sorry to inform you, but that wine we were all about to drink has been poisoned." There was an echo of gasps around the table then,

" And how, prey tell do you know this?" he asked slowly lowering back into his chair.

" Because sir I know the smell of this particular poison, you see I was trained to be able to identify different poisons when I was young in case of an assassination attempt." Satisfied with the answer Shoji also reseated himself. He could see everyone in the room was astonished and a little unsettled by the fact that he had just saved their lives.

Clapping his hands twice he summoned two guards, who he sent to find the man who had poured the wine. In the meantime, Kiro sent for more wine, and before anybody drank he had the poured test it, when he did not die, and Shoji assured him that he did not detect anything harmful they drank, but before they drank Kiro toasted to Shoji " for being our great protector" were his words and Shoji smiled and raised his glass thinking,

_You don't know the half of it. _After a few hours the guards returned with bad news,

" I'm sorry your majesty, but he escaped." One said with a bow. Kiro nodded his head with a sigh,

" I'm not surprised, he probably fled when he heard the glass smash on the wall." Soon after that everyone was heading to bed. As he was leaving he was aware of Kiro approaching him, so Shoji turned towards him with a smile,

" Shoji-chan, I must thank-you for saving my life, as well as my daughter's."

" I just as much save my own, Kiro-samma." He commented modestly

" I don't think so. Something tells me you would have survived the poison, while the rest of us would not have."

" What makes you think this sir?" he wondered, a slight crease forming on his brow.

" You seem stronger then most is all."

" Well I thank-you for the compliment, sir, and I wish you a safe sleep tonight."

" Aye, and I you." And with that they went their own ways.

As Shoji approached the door to his room he felt as though something was wrong, stopping outside the door he felt the presence of someone who shouldn't be there. Slipping his shurikun from his sleeve he slowly entered the room, cautiously stepping to the side he shut the door throwing the room into compete darkness. Before he could react however, someone leapt on him from his right, making him fall on his side. The person who jumped on him held a knife to Shoji's throat and growled,

"I knew you'd blow it ninja. Now once you're out of the way I can take out the Emperor and get my reward." The knife pressed harder against his throat and Shoji felt the skin on his neck tear and swung his arm out from under him hitting his assailant in the temple and forcing him to bang his head on the wall separating his room from the corridor. Rolling out from under the man he jumped to his feet and grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him up, with a grunt of effort Shoji pressed him against the wall and held his arms tightly, pinning him there,

" Who sent you?" Shoji demanded, when he got no response he tightened his grip earning a wince from the man, but he still refused to speak, until he laughed,

" You're going to have to kill me. If you let me go, I'll keep coming after you, and the Emperor, and I'll tell others of you. I'm not telling you anything of my mission, so you mine as well kill me" at this Shoji stiffened, he had never killed anyone before, and didn't really want to start, " What's the matter kid? Don't have the stomach for it?" he asked mockingly. Growling Shoji pushed him up against the wall harder.

" I don't need to kill you. There's something else I can do, and you won't be a threat to anyone ever again." Shoji could feel the man's confusion as he took in a few deep breaths. Concentrating on the man Shoji projected his thoughts, his consciousness from his mind to the other man's. Once there he sorted through the memories, erasing several, and closely examining others, gathering information on the man's mission, then erasing those memories too, the last thing he did was replace the memories with false ones. When Shoji was done the man believed him self to be a traveling nomad, who was visiting the palace for the night and would be on his way in the morning.

Sighing as the man left the room Shoji sat on his bed, he had never erased so many memories at one time before, and to replace them all, it was exhausting. Two good things came from the evening though, the Emperor trusted him, and he now knew a few things about his enemy, one of which is they were instructed to complete the task by any means necessary. With another exhausted sigh Shoji laid down and fell asleep, without even bothering to change.


	3. The First Battle

When morning came Shoji woke and sat up stiffly, and grumbling under his breath he changed into some casual daywear

When morning came Shoji woke and sat up stiffly, and grumbling under his breath he changed into some casual daywear. At breakfast Kiro asked if he would like to join him for a ride in the surrounding forest, of course Shoji accepted, and once they were finished they went down to the stables, where their horses stood waiting for them. Shoji stepped up to his steed and patted him on the shoulder, he was a lean dark chestnut gelding, and he had been Shoji's friend for a long time, after greeting Hogo-okami he turned to Kiro's steed, it was a tall white mare, Shoji was in full admiration of the animal when Kiro patted him on the shoulder,

"Beautiful isn't she?" he asked as he moved to stroke her flowing mane, Shoji nodded, then, regaining his voice asked,

" What's her name?"

" Tenshi." Was the short and proud answer, " and what of your steed, has he a name to fit his beauty?" Shoji nodded and pulled him self into the saddle,

" He is Hogo-okami, but I just call him Hogo for short." Kiro nodded thinking about the name for a moment then smiled as he gently urged his horse forward towards the gate in the palace wall.

Shoji sighed looking over at the large capital city of Karana, it was a beautiful city, with fountains, and groups of trees scattered through out. The buildings varied in sizes, shapes, colours and directions they faced, at first glace it looked almost as though they had just been throw together, but after studying them for a moment you could see there was a pattern to the chaos, _as a wise man once said " There is method to my madness"_ Shoji thought with a small chuckle before they turned and headed west into the forest which he and Chicho had arrived. After a few minuets of riding in silence Kiro cleared his throat with a small cough and began to speak,

" So, Nichuna-san,"

" Please, Shoji," Shoji insisted for the hundredth time,

" Very-well, Shoji. You strike me as a smart young man, which is quite rare among the other young men you see these days." He was quiet for a few minuets then,

" I think there is more to you then meets the eye, and some of it you don't even know, so I will say this: Though both move mostly in the dark of night, wolves run in a pack, while mighty Ninja stand alone, so decide, which are you? A proud wolf, or a mighty ninja?" Shoji thought on it for a while as they rode a well-worn path through the trees,

" I would be some where in between. I rely on my friends, and they on me, but when it comes down to it I'm alone." Silence fell as Kiro thought about his words, and Shoji felt as though something was missing, then he realized the forest went silent also. Suddenly becoming alert to several unwanted presences around them Shoji stiffened, mentally cursing him self.

Hogo-okami snorted uneasily and stopped, with Tenshi at his shoulder. Kiro glanced at Shoji then down at Tenshi, fully understanding that something was not quite right. Shoji sat tall in his saddle and said into the surrounding trees,

" I, Shoji Nichuna, call you out, and am disgraced that you call your selves ninjas of the Shikirro Clan." At his words there was a slight rustle and five men stepped from their hiding places. Shoji studied the man directly in front of them, he was tall, and had black hair, with matching eyes, the rest of his face however was concealed from view.

Cursing silently Shoji prepared himself for battle without the others knowing, he allowed the shurikun knife hidden in his sleeve to slide into his waiting hand,

" Well, well, you are awfully young to be expected to defeat us. We'll be sure to give you a quick death, after we torture some information out of you first of course." Gritting his teeth Shoji knew they were in a bad situation, they were surrounded, and they were a fair distance from the palace, and Shoji had two options, stay and try to defeat them all while keeping them from attacking Kiro, or they could flee and hope to make it to the palace without being hit by flying objects like arrows, throwing stars, or shurikun.

With great effort he came to a decision, reaching out with his thoughts he directed them at Kiro and thought _Kiro, I want you to head back to the palace as fast as you can, I'll stop them from following you, but be aware of attacks just incase, go on my signal. _ He saw Kiro's slight nod as he reached out to the men with his mind, silently gripping them, and willing them not to move, then, making sure he had them all, he said to Kiro

"Go." As soon as the word left his mouth Tenshi wheeled around and took off in the direction of the palace, as Kiro left Shoji felt some of the men struggle to follow, he also felt their surprise when they discovered that they could not move, once Kiro was out of Shoji's earshot he released the men. When he saw the two of them were about to go after Kiro he threw both his shurikun, pinning them to trees, " There's no point in following him, he will be back at the palace any minuet." The man in front of him glared daggers at him a moment before asking,

" How did you restrain my men like that?" Shoji smirked,

" A true ninja never reveals his secrets."

" Very well, just another thing to torture out of you." With that he gave a signal with his hand and the two men who were not pinned to trees attacked. With delicate grace Shoji slid his feet from their stirrups and, swinging his right leg high into the air he flipped out of the way of their knives.

Landing closer then intended to one of the men who just a moment ago was pinned, Shoji received a fierce blow to his lower chest causing him to double over, but before he could be hit again he did a summersault and, returning to his feet beside the man, struck him on the back of the head where his neck and skull met. The sound nearly made him flinch as the man crumpled to the ground, never to move again. _One down_ Shoji thought bitterly as he turned to one of the other men.

Shoji found himself exchanging blows quite rapidly, but soon his opponent slowed, and Shoji found an opening, taking it he kicked the mans left knee forcing it to go backwards, and in turn forcing the man to fall, before Shoji could deal the final blow however, he gasped as something hit his back in a burst of pain, he heard the dull thud of a handle stopping a blade, and knew he was hit with a shurikun, he felt the blood trickle down his back. Fighting the pain he turned to his attacker and engaged in battle with him, but with every block the pain grew in intensity, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

Falling to the ground with a grunt of pain Shoji tried to breath as his vision swam and his hearing dulled he rolled from his side to his stomach, where he pushed himself up to his feet. He could here the three laughing, and the one that stood out most was the man who seemed to be the leader, his laugh was high and cold. Standing he drew himself to his full height, and set his jaw preparing to go in for his last attack. Getting an idea, Shoji braced him self as one of the men came in for the kill, as they started fighting Shoji reached out with his mind again and gripped his attacker, once firmly under his control he made the man turn on his comrades, killing the injured man. Unfortunately their leader, struck him down quickly leaving only two men standing, the only two who had not yet attacked, and, Shoji reasoned, probably the strongest.

Panting, Shoji felt his strength drain as he fell to one knee. The tall man walked up to him, stopping a foot from him he looked down at Shoji for a moment before kicking him hard enough to send him into a tree, forcing the shurikun, still in his back, to sink further. Falling to the ground with a cry of pain Shoji lay there, unable to move.

He heard the man approach and closed his eyes, waiting for deaths sweet embrace that never came, hearing a snarl and a strangled yell Shoji's eyes shot open and he raised his head just enough to see the black eyed man's feet, and four rust red paws.

Unable to hold his head up any longer Shoji allowed if to fall, but he listened, as the man cursed, and attacked the snarling wolf, he heard the sound of impact when the animal collided with the man, throwing him off balance, Shoji felt the wind from the two falling, and heard the sickening gushing sound as the wolf tore the man's throat from his neck.

Wondering if he was next Shoji waited, and listened, but instead of the feeling of being torn apart he felt a cold nose on the back of his neck, and soon saw four feet in front of him. He was taken by surprise when the wolf lay next to him, resting its head under his chin. Closing his eyes Shoji moved his arm so it draped over the wolf.

When he awoke Shoji was dimly aware people around him. Opening his eyes slowly he blinked a few times before trying to push himself up, and finding he was unable to. A familiar voice sounded somewhere above him, " he's in bad shape, I don't know if he'll make it back sir." _I know that voice…_ Shoji thought trying to place it, but his mind was hazy,

" It's either we move him and risk it or he stays here and dies Jiria, unless you have a better idea?" Another voice said,_ Jiria…now I remember._ Shoji remembered the tall servant who had shown him to his room only a few days ago. The second voice was followed by a short silence, then,

"I agree with my father, he needs to be taken back to the palace, where his wounds can be treated." This voice was female, and Shoji had no trouble placing her, _Tara_ the name floated through his mind like a swan floating lazily across a warm pond.

Shoji felt a small hand gently lay on his right shoulder blade, just above where the Shurikun was embedded, but since his head was facing his left he couldn't see the person who was touching him, but he knew that it was Tara.

With a quiet groan Shoji tried to raise himself again, this time managing to rise to his hands and knees,

" Amazing that he can move." Someone from behind him said

" Shoji, just try to relax, if you move too much you may injure yourself further." Kiro's soothing voice whispered into his ear. Gritting his teeth Shoji allowed himself to fall back to the ground muttering,

" Great protection I am." So low that only Kiro and Tara heard him.

" Captain, if you please." Kiro prompted,

" Yes sir." An unfamiliar voice answered, and soon after Shoji felt himself lifted very gently, just enough so a canvas could slide under his damaged body. Once the canvas was in place he was set back down.

After the men around him decided who would hold the poles the canvas was attached to, he felt the canvas below him rise, baring him with it. It didn't take long for Shoji to figure out there were at least eight men with Kiro, Tara, and Jiria from the sound of their footfalls on the forest floor.

Shoji closed his eyes and fell into a light doze thinking about how much better he could have handled the situation, and how stupid he was to let Kiro go out into the forest. He knew that it was his own fault he was hurt, and that it could have cost a good man his life, and it could have cost Tara her father, whom she loved very much. _She would have never forgiven me, and I doubt she would have ever been happy again…_ Shoji mentally shook himself,_ where did that thought come from?_ He wondered, but before he could look into it he felt a warm hand close over his chilled one, opening his eyes he saw her, Tara, smiling down at him, with her beautiful red lips, and bright green eyes, a lock of her rust red hair hung loosely in front of her face. Shoji felt a pressure build up in his chest that had nothing to do with him laying on his stomach, it was something new, something he had never felt before, he tried to tell himself that he didn't know what it was, but something in the back of his mind kept poking at him. Ignoring it Shoji continued to lie to himself.

Shoji smiled grimly back as the procession stopped before the palace gates, it only took a moment for the gates to open however, and they were soon moving once more. It didn't take long before they were in the medical part of the palace, where the lands best healers resided.

" My, my, he is quite banged up, isn't he? Looks like I have my work cut out for me this time." The voice was female, she sounded to be in her mid-late twenties,

" Yes, but I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks." He heard Kiro assure her, which made Shoji wonder how bad he looked, because he felt pretty bad.

Shoji was quickly transferred to a soft bed, and he felt his shirt removed by being cut away to reveal his muscular back, it wasn't like, bulging muscles or anything, his muscles were just well defined. Once his shirt was removed her heard the healer whistle a long note that grew lower as it progressed,

" It's amazing this man's alive, let alone conscious." She said with amazement,

" He's a strong one Raja, and I'm sure you'll be able to patch him up just fine in no time." Kiro's words filled Shoji with contentment, blowing away his earlier thoughts of shame.

" I hope so, because it's going to hurt a lot more pulling that thing out, then it did putting it in." Rajas words caused Shoji to cringe, remembering how painful it was when the knife was first plunged into his back, then when it was forced deeper by the tree. Gripping the blanket under him tightly Shoji prepared for the pain. " Take a deep breath." Raja instructed as she wrapped her fingers gently around the black handle, Shoji did as he was told. Sucking in a deep breath shoji gripped the blanket tighter, only to release his breath in a groan of pain when the knife was yanked from his back. After the wave of pain subsided Shoji slowly relaxed, burying his face into the pillow to hide his watering eyes. _It's been a while since I was in so much pain, I've gotten soft,_ he whimpered to him self.

Keeping his face pressed against the pillow he could feel Raja cleaning and bandaging the wound. When she was done she told him he could roll over if he wanted to before leaving the room. Reluctantly Shoji stiffly rolled to his back, and smiled tiredly as Tara, and Kiro, who were the only two in the room aside from him.

" Now that you have been tended to, and are no longer in immediate danger, please, tell us what you know of the plot on my life?" Kiro said in a friendly dignified tone that suggested to Shoji that he already knew the reason why he was there even before he arrived.

" I know many things of it, for I was able to gather information from a man who thought it smart to try to ambush me when I returned to my chambers." Tara laughed quietly at this, but Shoji couldn't see what was so funny about it.

Shoji spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the assassination plot with Kiro and Tara. That evening Chicho came to see him and brought with him a tray of food, and while they ate together, for the first time since they traveled to the palace, Shoji told his friend what happened, and as expected Chicho stopped him every other sentence to scold him.


	4. Decisions, decisions

The next few days went by without consequence, other then Raja having to scold Shoji a few times for getting out of bed and do

The next few days went by without consequence, other then Raja having to scold Shoji a few times for getting out of bed and doing push-ups and what not. Tara visited him every day, and so did Chicho and Kiro, but Shoji looked forward to Tara's visits the most. On the third day after the battle Raja removed the bandages so she could change them, but was amazed to see that his wound was almost completely healed,_ he's like Tara, interesting. _ She noted to her self as she told him he could go.

With a big smile, Shoji left the long room full of mostly empty beds and headed for his rooms to change, he had been wearing the same clothing for three days and felt that it was time to change. Once bathed and garbed in fresh clothing, a casual black shirt with short sleeves and comfortably loose breeches, he went down to the gardens hoping to find Tara.

Outside it was a beautiful day, the sun was shinning, the flowers blooming, the trees fruiting, and the water in the fountain's pool was glistening. Shoji sat on the edge of the pool and stared into the water thinking about everything that's happened to him in the past two weeks he's been at the palace, _or has it only been one week? Maybe one and a half? _He wondered trying to recall what happened on what day, but he found he was unable to separate everything into days. Sighing Shoji looked up to see Kane, the man that sits across from him at the dinning table, approaching with a smile. Kane had visited Shoji when he was in the hospital wing of the palace a couple of times, the two got on together quite well, and Shoji almost considered him a friend.

Sitting beside Shoji Kane heaved a sigh, " you know, we could probably go home right now, the other suitors and I, I mean of course. Because it's obvious that you and Tara-samma have something, and we don't really stand a chance." Shoji couldn't help but smile at this, and he felt him self fill with an odd feeling, but pushing the thought aside he responded,

" I don't think so, I'm not really Emperor material, and she knows that. And I'm sure she'll be happier with someone else." The of Tara being with someone else, the thought of her sharing a bed with someone that was not him, made his heart sink, and he wasn't sure why.

Kane saw how the word affected Shoji, he could see it in his eyes, he loved her, but he could also tell Shoji had not admitted it to him self. Shaking his head Kane put a hand on his friends shoulder, " well she has to find a husband soon, and out of the six of us, I bet she'll pick you." The words made Shoji's heart rise, he was right after all, she'd be choosing one of them in a few days, and he knew that she didn't like two of them, she wasn't interested in the other two, the only two she enjoyed being around were him and Kane, and she spent much more time with him. But there was still a chance, he told him self, _that she'll pick Kane, she knows after all that I'm a ninja, and can't stay; I'm only here to protect her father until she has been wedded. Well, I guess it wouldn't be too bad, seeing Kane and her marry. _He comforted himself with the thought that Kane was a good man, and would treat her well, with respect, and tenderness, _and he would make a much better ruler then I._

After a short conversation about the beauty of the gardens Kane excused himself and was soon replaced by Tara, which is why Kane left.

Smiling Tara sat beside him, " I've made my decision." She said abruptly. Blinking Shoji stared at her blankly for a moment, "About who is to be my husband." She clarified for him.

Shoji knew what she had been talking about, but when she said it he gave a false look of realization, hoping it looked real, " And who is it that you wish to marry?" He asked with a suddenly dry mouth, it felt as though his stomach was full of squirming insects as he waited for her reply. Tara was staring down at the water, her face was slowly growing red, wondering what was so interesting in the water he followed her gaze and saw she was looking at his reflection on the water. Slightly confused he looked up to her, and she to him. With one word Shoji filled with an indescribable emotion, or perhaps, many. The single word as heart felt, and sincere, it was filled with deep emotion. The single word that left her tongue was "you".

Shojis face lit up and he pulled her into a tight embrace, filled with sheer joy. But then realization struck him, and he pulled out of the hug, his face grave,

" I cannot be your groom, I'm a ninja, that's all I know, I can't run a country. I'm only here to protect your father; I'm not really one of your suitors, why not Kane?" She smiled sadly, and kissed his cheek.

" I know why you're here, but do you? You're here because I asked for help from your clan. And now I've discovered that they've helped me more then I thought they would."

" How can they do that? I protected your father, that's the only help I've been."

" More then that, Shoji. They helped me find love, and another person like me. I love you, and I'll do anything for you, as corny as it is." Shoji didn't know what to say, he was stunned. So without saying a thing, he let her know how he felt by leaning and placing his lips upon hers gently, in a sweet kiss.

The two had parted after a lengthy kiss; they agreed not to tell anyone until it was formally announced at dinner that night.

Now Shoji stood in his room trying to decide what he should wear, ever since he and Tara had separated he felt lighter then air, he was almost afraid that he would float away, or wake up and discover that it was a dream, but after extensive testing (mainly pinching himself) he concluded that it was in-fact not a dream. So he continued searching through his dresser, until he found something he liked. He found a deep red haiori with gold trimmings, The shoulders were decorated with embodied wolves, under it he wore a plain white shirt, it didn't take him long to find the pants that matched the haiori.

Pacing his room, Shoji waited for dinner to be called. There was a knock on the door to Chicho's room, and the sound startled Shoji making him jump. Sighing at his stupidity he called out for his friend to come in, a moment later Chicho was sitting on Shoji's bed delivering bad news,

" She said that there would be some kind of battle," Chicho explained, " and that a close friend was in a dangerous position." His expression was concerned, " I think we should send word to Shiro sensei, and the others that we may need some help, she said there would be a large conflict, and two tribes would fight to the death. She also said that she could tell the outcome, and also, if one of the two sides was not present, a man who is in need of protection, will fall, along with the man who is secretly, to all but he, protecting him, and the secret guardians lover." The new stunned Shoji, he didn't know what to say, he knew the man in need of protection was Kiro, so the man who is protecting him secretly would be him, and that leaves the guardians lover, which, he was sure, meant Tara.

Chicho watched him for a moment, letting the information sink in.

"How do you know that this is true though? I mean, putting all your faith in a deck of cards?" Shoji wanted a reason to believe that it was just a bunch of B.S.

" Well I asked around, and everyone has told me that Madam Isanti is never wrong. I think we should send a messenger, and have all the able bodied come and prepare for battle, just in case." Nodding Shoji agreed.

Shortly after Chicho left Shoji wondered if he knew that the secret guardian was him, he wasn't sure, because it mentioned a lover, and as far as his friend knew, he had none. Sighing Shoji started pacing the room once again, when dinner was called, by way of bell, Shoji had to take a deep steadying breath.

Shoji stepped into the dinning room with a forced smile, but when he saw Tara's smiling face, it became as natural as the wind, or rain. Sitting in his usual seat, next to Tara, greeted everyone warmly, and was, in turn, greeted with the same warmth. Everyone was happy to see him back and it made him feel good, he had never been so cared about before, and he liked the feeling.

Once everyone was seated, and dinner was set on the table Kiro stood, and with a smile on his face said,

" It is my pleasure to welcome back Nichuna-samma, from the hospital wing, where he was since the attempt on my life four days ago, and I would like to propose a toast, To Shoji, The Lone Wolf." Everyone raised their glass and echoed " to Shoji" but Shoji heard Tara say " The Lone Wolf".

After the toast everyone dished up and they went about dinner as usual, and Shoji wasn't surprised when everyone wanted to know exactly what happened, so he told them a version that he came up with while in the hospital wing. In the new version he got his ass kicked a little harder then he did in real life, because he had to leave out his ninja skills and his "special" (for lack of better word) skills. He also had to leave out the wolf, because who would believe a red wolf saved his life, then laid beside him?

At the end of the meal, the food was taken away, and wine brought out, as he always did, Shoji watched carefully as the wine was poured, once everyone was served Shoji discreetly sniffed his drink, and deemed that it was safe. Before he drank though, Tara stood.

" I have an announcement to make." She paused and everyone was silently staring at her, the four men nearest her father had slightly sour expressions, while Kane looked eager to hear the news, and Shoji showed respectful interest. Her father looked up at her from the other end of the table, his expression was one of happiness, and deep interest, he knew it was about her husband to be, and he had a good idea who he was, his eyes shifted to Tara's immediate right, and rested on Shoji for a moment before going back to his daughter, who continued, " I have decided whom I wish to marry. He is sweet, easy to talk to, gets along with everyone, and always seems to know what he's doing." She looked at Shoji, smiling brightly, " Shoji Nichuna, will you be my husband?" She asked as if she didn't know the answer. Standing Shoji looked down into her green eyes, and placed a gentle hand on her rust red hair,

" I would love to be your husband." With that said they leaned in and kissed, shoji leaning down and Tara leaning up, since she was half a head shorter then him. When they pulled apart everyone was clapping and giving him congratulations.

Shoji grinned broadly when Kiro raised his glass and toasted to him and Tara, looking down at his bride to be Shoji stared at her hair recognizing the colour as the same as the wolf who had saved him. Pushing the thought away he drank in celebration with the others, they drank late into the night, until Jiria entered the room wearing night clothing, and sent them all stumbling to their rooms.

The next morning Shoji woke to see bright sunlight pouring through the window, he only remembered bits and pieces from the night before, but luckily he didn't have a headache. Getting out of bed he noticed he was still wearing his clothes from dinner, shrugging he went into the washroom and ran himself a warm bath.

Half-an-hour later Shoji stepped from his room clean and refreshed, the joy from the night before still radiated from him, causing everyone he passed to smile, even if they were in a terrible mood. Shoji reached the dinning room for breakfast and found it nearly empty; there were only three other people there, Kane, Kiro, and Tara. Shoji wished that it was only Kiro and Tara, he wanted to tell them of the news Chicho gave him, but he knew they were probably told already.

Sitting down he smiled, and nodded a greeting to Kane. Shoji moved his chair closer to Tara and put his arm around her protectively, he didn't know why he felt like he had to protect her, it was, _instinctual _he thought. He loved her, and so he instinctively wanted to keep her safe.

Tara's head was down, as if she were sleeping, and when Shoji wrapped his arm around her she raised her head enough for him to see her smile her greeting before she rested her head in the crook of his arm, he was amazed at how well she fit.

He noticed how they all were very quiet, and knew they must have had bad headaches after all the drinking. It wasn't long before breakfast was brought in; one of the servants answered his unasked question,

" Our lord thought it best that we let everyone sleep in, if the wish to, this morning." She whispered into his ear so as not to affect the other three, but she discovered she was unsuccessful when Tara groaned her displeasure.

Later that day Shoji was sitting under a tree in the courtyard with Tara was sitting between his legs with his arms wrapped around her waist, and Kiro across from him, Chicho was sitting to his right, but he had some things to attend to and left them to discuss the next move.

" So, soon my clan will be here to help protect you, and Tara, in the mean time you should keep constant vigilance, as will I." Shoji spoke to Kiro with a very serious tone. He looked at Tara, who was asleep in his arms, and gently kissed her head. Kiro smiled and nodded his agreement,

" Yes, and while we are staying vigilant, we have a wedding to plan, the sooner the better."

Later still that day, Shoji and Tara were sitting alone beside the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Shoji looked up at the two wolves, then back down at his fiancé.

" You were the wolf." it was more of a statement then a question, he watched her closely as her expression turned passive,

" Yes, I was… How did you figure it out?" he could tell that she already knew, but said it anyways,

" Your hair, and…scent." He slowly lowered his head to burry his face in her neck, taking in a deep breath, he stayed like that for a minuet, just breathing in her scent. Because he had his face buried in her neck, and hair, he didn't see the smile on her face.

Lifting his head, he stopped right in front of her face, and smiled lovingly before kissing her softly, then deepening the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. Something inside him roared with pleasure, and urged him to go on, his inner beast, as he called it, told him not to stop there, to keep going, but he knew better, not till they were married.

Dinner went by smoothly, but there wasn't much drinking, or conversation. When it came time to depart Shoji hugged Tara tight and headed back to his room.


	5. The beginning of the End

The morning dawned overcast, with a light drizzling rain; it was the third day after they had sent a messenger to the Shikana

The morning dawned overcast, with a light drizzling rain; it was the third day after they had sent a messenger to the Shikana ninja clan, and their forces were going to be there that evening. Sitting up with a sigh, Shoji looked over at his katana, which was propped against the side of the dresser, between it and the wall.

When Shoji left his room, dressed in loose clothing, but not so loose that it would get in the way, but comfortably so, and strapped across his back was his sword. He went down to the dinning room, when he entered everyone was already there, some of them standing and chatting, but everyone fell silent when they saw him. He wore dark gray clothing, the shirt was held shut with a thin cloth tie, and his pants were held by a wide piece of material that wrapped around his belly under his shirt, also under his shirt was a thick layer of material setup like armor, in fact that was the idea. Being a ninja he needed to be flexible, but he also needed protection, the cloth was light, and flexible unlike real armor.

Shoji's face was stony as he addressed the men, and Tara, before him. " Today" he said, " is the day of a great battle, I can feel it. I am here to protect Kiro-samma, and so I will. But, if you feel that you must return to your lands, to rule your people, then do so before noon. If you wish to stay and help, then know that there is a possibility that you will not return home." He watched them closely for a response, they didn't move for a moment, then Kane stepped up beside him.

" I'll help." He said, and soon two others offered their services. As for the other two, if they did not return their domains would fall into civil war, just as this one would if the emperor were to die before Tara was married, which they decided would be in three days time, if circumstances permit.

They spent the day preparing for battle, Shoji was sure that the enemies would come from the forest that enclosed the palace on the west, north and east sides, rather then attacking the city. Shoji knew they would rather not start a commotion and alert the whole country.

Shoji paced his room, while Tara sat on his bed watching him with a determined expression, "I'm staying and that is the last of it." She told him sternly, he glanced at her and stopped his pacing,

" But what if something happened to you? If you…there would be no one else, and it would be for nothing." He couldn't bring himself to even think about her dying.

" Shoji, I'll be fine, I promise."

" You can't promise that though." He pointed out as he started his pacing once more.

" I can." She insisted, but seeing his disbelieving look she sighed and went to his desk, grasped the letter opener and slid the blade over her arm.

Shoji gasped with horror and he sprinted across the room to her, eyes wide and heart racing. But when he got there, though there was blood dripping from her arm and a small pool of it at her feet, her arm was fine, with nothing but a fine scar along the length of her arm to show that she had in-fact cut herself.

Tara looked up into his searching eyes, " I can't only change my shape, I can also heal myself." Shoji nodded slowly and took her arm in his hand and wiped the blood away, then he looked up into her eyes and couldn't help but smile.

" Well you are just full of surprises, now aren't you?" he said jokingly, triggering a grin from her.

He agreed to let her stay behind while the other women left, along with the children, they weren't told why they were leaving, all Shoji knew was that Kiro had come up with an acceptable excuse, because none complained.

As the sun started to sink behind the western horizon Shoji started to grow anxious, and impatient. He was hidden in the dense underbrush on the northwest corner of the palace, all his senses were on alert, as were the men's who were positioned around him, as they waited for his signal, since he would be first to know if anyone were near.

Movement. He felt it, coming from his right, from the west, there was a great deal of movement, and it was discreet, _Ninja movement._ Shoji thought. Then knowing what to do he slowly stood up, and a moment later several men appeared before him, all wearing the same black clothing. _My family has arrived._ He thought with a smile as he extended his hand to his former sensei, Shiro.

Shiro must have seen the relief in Shojis expression, because he grinned and said

" What are you so happy about? The battle isn't over, and you have twenty new men to integrate into your forces." Shoji's smile faded, as he realized, he was the official commander of this mission, weather he liked it or not. He couldn't pass it on to his sensei, he had to make the choices, and no one was going to argue them, so with a curt nod he addressed the new comers and gave them orders, then he reached out with his mind to the men he already had positioned and sent a message and an image, the message was,

" Reinforcements have arrived, this is what they look like, do not attack." The image was of the twenty new comers, as Shoji saw them.

Within ten minuets everyone was ready, and all they needed to do now was wait, wait for the enemy to show up.

An hour after everyone was settled into position Shoji sensed the first of their enemies moving swiftly through the forest. _This is it._ He thought grimly as he gave the first signal, which was a sparrow that circled twice above their heads, before returning to Shoji's shoulder. Around him his men prepared for the upcoming battle. It was no longer a business matter, it was personal. The Shikirro clan and the Okami clan had been enemies since their beginnings, a hundred years before, and the Shikirro clan wanted revenge for their fallen comrades. From what Shoji could tell, they weren't facing just the Shikirros, but also their allies, men from a powerful country to the northwest.

With a lump raising in his throat Shoji released the bird for a second time, and it again flew above the trees and circled around the area where his men were hiding, and waiting, it's appearance letting them know that the enemy was moving closer.

Flicking his index and middle finger forward, indicating to move out, he and his platoon moved towards an open field. As he moved forward the other platoons followed in a wave-like motion. Stopping at the edge Shoji closed his eyes and let his instincts guide him. The enemy was at the other side of the clearing, and moving closer with each passing second, but they were still out of bow range. Opening his eyes Shoji glanced up into the trees around him, every other tree had an archer in it, his bow pulled taut, waiting for his signal to release their hungry arrows.

Taking in a deep breath Shoji released a long howl as the signal for the archers, before the howl ended many of the enemies in the front lines fell, never to get up again. The ones who were still standing however, continued, stepping on and over their fallen companions. The force marched forward as another fleet of arrows rained down on them, and more fell to stain the ground with their blood, Shoji cringed as their presence disappeared from his "radar", he didn't like being responsible for death, weather it was human or animal, it didn't seem right to him.

Feeling the dread in his stomach Shoji pushed his thoughts toward Tara, as he prepared to enter his second, and last battle. Letting a second howl tear from his throat he drew his katana as he moved to engage the enemy in combat.

Moving fluently, as he was taught, Shoji struck down four men before the rest of his men caught up, and before he realized that he had done it. Swallowing the bile that threatened he moved from one opponent to the next. He was vaguely aware of his men dying around him, but he couldn't worry about them, or he would be next.

Decapitating a man who wielded a double sided axe Shoji moved to the next man, who had his back to him, and cut him in half. When the man fell he saw why he was facing the other way, in front of Shoji, was Kane, he was pinned to a tree with a thin sword that had been shoved through his right shoulder. Kane was barely conscious, and losing blood. Feeling guilty Shoji glanced around to make sure there wasn't any enemies his immediate proximity, then moved forward. Gripping the handle with both hands, he braced Kane with his knee, and pulled the blade out as fast as possible. Dropping the sword Shoji moved his katana from leaning against his hip, to it's sheath on his back, then he wrapped his arm around Kane's chest, and under his arms, and dragged him farther off to the side. He propped him against a tree and looked at the wound, and knew instantly that there wasn't any hope for his friend, unless he had healing abilities like Tara.


	6. The Happily Ever After, For Now

What's that sound

" _I can also heal myself." She had said, " It just takes concentration." _Her words echoed in his head as he looked at the bloody hole in his friend's chest, then he remembered something Raja had said to him, _" You and miss Tara are more alike then you know." _At the time he had wondered what she meant, now he thought he knew.

Taking a deep breath Shoji concentrated on Kane's wound, willing it to heal, and as he watched it, the flow of blood slowed, and stopped, and the wound started to close. Amazed Shoji looked toward the battlefield, and saw only the ninjas were still fighting, them and a single wolf.

Standing Shoji headed back to the battle, but as he went he felt a sudden drain on his energy, as though something was sucking it out of him, and he realized what Tara had meant when she told him it was energy consuming to heal. Gritting his teeth he continued on, pulling his katana from it's sheath once more.

With a clang he and a ninja of the Shikirro clan locked blades. They fought fiercely using many combinations of blocks, slashes, lunges, and jumps.

They were the last ones fighting, and in the end, Shoji had his back pressed against a tree, his sword was stuck in the ground ten feet to his left, and his enemy's sword pressed against his chest. Shoji could feel the tip of the sword dig into his skin every time he inhaled, his breathing was ragged, and uneven as he tried to calm himself, even though he knew it was the end, one way or another.

Wondering why he couldn't hear anything, Shoji looked around, and he was shocked at what he saw. Nothing but bloody bodies, and amidst those bodies he spotted a wolf, lying on her side some thirty feet ahead to his right.

Eyes brimming with tears Shoji Growled and turned his full attention to the victoriously smiling man in front of him.

The smile disappeared from the mans face, however, when Shoji thrust himself onto his sword and moved forward bringing them almost nose-to-nose. What unnerved the man most, was not the fact that he had basically just stabbed himself, but that his face didn't change, there wasn't a flicker of pain, or emotion, other then sheer determination, and possibly blame.

Shoji moved up close to the man, and pressed his body against him, then, concentrating he started to change, he felt his face stretch out, and his teeth change shape, and get longer, his knees curved and turned into hocks, and his body was covered in thick black wolf's hair, but he stopped part way through the change. He was still standing as tall was a man, but he had a wolf's snout and fur, his arms were longer, and his legs looked awkward, curving forward then coming to a point in the back before curving again to join with the rest of his body, and a busy tail hanging almost to the ground.

Snarling Shoji sank his fangs into the mans neck before he could retreat. He felt the warm blood fill his mouth; it's coppery taste pleasant on his tongue. Releasing the man he fell to the ground. Shoji spat out the blood as he changed back to his human self, then, with a groan, he pulled the sword from his chest, He felt as though something heavy was sitting on his chest, he was having difficulty breathing, but he went straight to Tara first.

It seemed the only wound she had was a gash on her shoulder, which wasn't too deep, so rather then healing it completely he just stopped the bleeding, then he moved on.

Moving from person to person, he healed the people who were still alive just enough so they wouldn't die of blood loss or infection.

What seemed like hours later Shoji stumbled to the last of his allies, Shiro, and fell to his knees beside him, his vision was going in and out of focus, and he was barely conscious, but he sat next to his sensei and examined his wounds, he had a knife lodged in his upper abdomen, Shoji could tell it was on an angle, and had probably slid between two of his ribs, his other injuries though were minor, so Shoji only focused on the knife, which he removed. After speeding up the clotting and stopping the bleeding Shoji made his way back across the battlefield to where Tara lay, but he didn't make it that far, because when the healing took it's toll he tripped over one of the enemies bodies and was out cold before he hit the ground.

_What's that sound? Voices? Who's speaking? Oh shit, where am I? More importantly, where's Tara, and what happened? _ Slowly Shoji opened his eyes, but closed them immediately after due to the bright light shining on him, then he opened them again, more slowly this time, and saw the light was coming through an open window on the other side of the long narrow room, that he recognized as the hospital wing, of the palace. Looking around he saw that most of the beds were empty, and according the sky outside it was sunset,_ I've been out for at least eighteen hours_ he thought,_ where is everyone else?_ He didn't want to consider the fact that they could be dead, so he moved to the next question on his mind, who was talking a moment ago? Gazing down at the other end of the room he saw three familiar people, Raja, Tara, and Kiro, they speaking quietly, and Shoji couldn't make out what they were saying, but be contented himself with the fact that Tara was alright. He watched them for a few minuets before they stopped talking and Tara came towards him by herself.

He smiled as she approached his bed. She returned the smile and sat down in the chair beside him. Wanting to break the silence Shoji asked,

"So, what happened? Like, how did I get here, and where is everyone else?" her smile grew and she chuckled softly,

" You were carried here by Raja's assistant healers, my father sent them, when the swallow returned, when they got there, they saw you stumbling across the battlefield, and watched you fall, and when you didn't get back up they got to work.

" The men brought back every one who was still alive, which, thanks to you, was most of our men, and me, but they also brought anyone from the other side who was still breathing, or had a pulse." Her words made Shoji sigh with relief,_ so they're alive, or at least… most of them are. _

" But if they were brought back here, were are they?" at this question her smile turned into a grin, which lit up her face,

" They've been discharged silly. It was almost a week ago, and the last of them were able to leave this morning." Shoji blinked, this wasn't the response he had been expecting, but he was glad for that, because the expected one was much more grim.

After she had answered his questions, Tara wanted to know what happened to him during the conflict. So he told his story, the only thing he left out was the way he had enjoyed the taste of the blood, even though he was sure it had something to do with being part wolf at the time. By the time he was done, Tara was lying beside him on the small bed, with his arms around her, and they said good night before falling asleep like that.

Two weeks later they were married, and Shoji was named next in line to be emperor, and Kiro had announced that he couldn't have picked someone more suited for the job.

Shoji liked to go out on moon lit nights with Tara and hone his skills at changing from human to wolf and back again, but most times, he and Tara just went for long runs in the forest.


End file.
